novelraw Chapter 157: A Reflection of Self
Chapter 157: A Reflection of Self
Adam’s expression distorted slightly.
The spear remained suspended in the air.
Seeing that he had gained at least a few more seconds to live, Cael hurriedly continued.
"Isn’t that the whole reason you’ve kept me around?!"
Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Revive?"
This time, it was Cael’s turn to look confused.
"Ah?"
He blinked.
"Didn’t you already know?"
The chains rattled as he shifted awkwardly.
"I thought you kept me close because you knew about my hidden ability."
Adam’s expression remained unchanged.
The giant blood spear still hovered above them, ready to strike at any moment.
"Explain."
The single word carried enough pressure to make most people panic.
Cael merely rolled his eyes.
"As you said, abilities are reflections of who we are."
He paused.
"But stream names are the same."
Cael looked directly at Adam.
"Tell me."
A crooked smile appeared on his face.
"Why do you think I’m called the Atrocious One?"
Adam answered immediately.
"Because being around you feels atrocious."
"..."
Cael’s lips twitched.
For a brief moment, he looked genuinely offended.
Yet after remembering the giant blood spear floating above his head, he wisely chose not to argue.
Instead, he loosened one of his restrained fingers and activated part of his status.
A translucent screen appeared between them.
[Life of Atrocity] (A-Rank) : To know someone completely—to feel their pain as your own—is to earn the right to call them back from death. Once the user fully sympathizes with and understands a person’s suffering, they may resurrect that person. However, should the user die, every person resurrected by this skill dies as well. For every use, the user’s sanity will lower.
It would be a lie if Adam said he was not surprised, because he truly was.
He did not show it on his face, but deep inside, he was truly shocked.
Adam suddenly remembered the time he used [Information Panel] on Cael, there was one ability that had question marks on it that Adam could not see.
He also remembered the way that Cael had died in his previous life...
Cael had gone berserk on the 15th floor, killing countless people.
Adam stared at the final line of the ability.
"For every use, the user’s sanity will lower."
Could this have been the reason for his madness?
"Why is it called Life of Atrocity...?"
Adam’s first question left Cael staring at him in disbelief.
For several seconds, he simply looked at him.
"...That’s your first question?"
Cael rubbed his forehead.
"Out of everything you just learned, that’s what you’re focused on?"
He let out a long sigh.
"Whatever. I’m not entirely sure myself."
Cael moved slightly against the chains.
"When I first awakened the skill, I asked my viewers about it. They told me that anything related to resurrection is considered taboo."
His expression grew more serious.
"Apparently, it has something to do with the original holder of the Authority of Life."
Adam remained silent and allowed him to continue.
"From what they explained, abilities that interfere with death always come with a price. Whether it’s resurrection, bringing back souls, or reversing death itself, there’s always some kind of drawback attached to it."
Cael shrugged.
"So my viewers think that’s why my ability damages my sanity whenever I use it."
Several notifications appeared.
[TrickyRabbit has donated 2 Soul Cores.]
[TrickyRabbit is interested in this development!]
[Holder of Severance agrees with Cael and his viewers’ theory.]
[Woman of Specter says she is an expert in the way of the dead... but not in the way of life.]
Adam glanced at the messages before returning his attention to Cael.
"If you can revive them, then revive them now."
Cael blinked.
Then a disappointed look appeared on his face, he had wanted Adam to react a bit more like he was impressed.
"Seriously?"
He looked genuinely let down.
"I thought you kept me around because you already knew about this ability... geez."
Adam’s expression didn’t change.
Although he was aware of Cael’s future A-rank ability that involved space, he was not aware of his ability to resurrect people...
This guy... perhaps he was more useful that Adam thought he would be.
Cael sighed.
"Fine, fine. I’ll revive Kristoff now."
"Revive Leila first."
Adam’s answer came immediately.
"She’ll be more useful on this floor."
To his surprise, Cael shook his head.
"I can’t."
Adam frowned.
"Why not?"
A strange smile appeared on Cael’s face.
"Let’s just say that if I had the choice, I’d rather bring back Kristoff."
Adam’s eyes narrowed.
"I don’t have time for your games."
"Tsk."
Cael clicked his tongue.
"You think I don’t know Leila would be more useful?"
His expression became irritated.
"Of course I know she’s more useful than that idiot Kristoff."
The chains rattled as he moved his body.
"I already tried reviving her after I hid and escaped the Fifth Floor."
Adam’s eyes sharpened.
"And?"
"My skill failed."
The answer came immediately.
"Not only did it fail, but I received a massive backlash."
Silence followed.
Cael slowly raised two fingers.
"That leaves only two possibilities."
"The first is that Leila’s existence level is far beyond what my ability can affect."
He lowered one finger.
"The second..."
His eyes narrowed.
"She’s not actually dead."
Adam frowned.
"I watched her die with my own eyes."
Cael couldn’t help but snort.
"You really believe that woman is soft and loving, don’t you?"
His voice carried obvious amusement.
"What? Is it because of that little tragic performance she put on before dying? Or is it because of the way she stammers with her words and acts shy?"
Adam remained silent.
Cael rolled his eyes.
"Idiot."
He leaned back against the wall.
"Do you really think someone like Leila would leave everything to chance?"
"Just as you said, our abilities are a reflection of our own existence. Hence, Leila, who received something related to the future, is someone who always knows more than she says, sees more than she shows, and walks a path that the rest of us cannot even see yet."
His smile widened.
"The Omniscient, the Omnipresent, and the Omnipotent all value her ability."
"Eventually, one of them would find a way to bring her back."
His gaze shifted toward Adam.
"And if they don’t?"
Cael pointed at him.
"Then you’re her backup plan."
Adam’s brows furrowed.
The idea sounded absurd.
Yet at the same time...
It wasn’t impossible.
It was not that Adam had not delved into such possibilities, but he had no way of confirming such things.
Not to mention, he was not the type to doubt the people who had helped him.
Then Cael suddenly spoke again.
"Besides, I came here to talk to you about something in related to it...."
"I have another theory."
Adam gestured for him to continue.
Cael’s eyes gleamed.
"Leila can see the future."
"So tell me, If she can see the future, wouldn’t she have seen herself losing to the holder of Omniscience during her time within that hidden space?"
The question hung in the air.
"There are explanations, of course."
"Maybe the Omniscient user used his authority to block that future from her sight."
"Maybe there were factors she couldn’t predict."
Cael paused.
"But what if none of that happened? What if the Omniscient user had not blocked that information off?"
Adam listened quietly.
"What if she already knew?"
Cael’s smile became unsettling.
"What if they had a conversation while trapped inside the Authority Dimension?"
His eyes narrowed.
"No.... What if they’ve been communicating for far longer than that in order to deceive you?"
The possibility sent Adam deep into thought.
He remembered the information he had once obtained using Information Panel.
Leila’s personality traits.
Calculative, secretive, deceitful, machiavellian...
At the time, he had dismissed them.
Now, he wasn’t so sure.
Then another memory surfaced.
Cael’s traits.
Mischievous, kind-hearted, cunning, sympathetic.
The contrast was almost laughable...
Outward appearances truly were deceptive.
Who would have thought that someone as irritating as Cael would end up seeming more trustworthy than Leila?
The thought left Adam feeling strangely uncomfortable.
After a moment, another question entered his mind.
"Your ability requires you to sympathize with someone before resurrecting them."
Cael nodded.
"What about Leila?"
Adam crossed his arms.
"What if your resurrection failed because you never truly understood her?"
Cael immediately shook his head.
"No."
His answer carried complete certainty.
"I received a system notification."
Adam raised an eyebrow.
Cael continued.
"It confirmed that I had fully sympathized with her."
His expression darkened.
"And because I fully sympathize with her that I knew something was odd with the way she acted, and why I know she’s been plotting something..."
The more he understood Leila, the less he trusted her.
"Tsk."
Cael looked away.
"That woman is absolutely terrible."
A look of frustration appeared on his face.
"Just thinking about her makes me want to punch something."
Adam stared at him.
"I thought you liked her."
Cael blinked.
Then he laughed.
"Heh."
The chains rattled as he shrugged.
"Do you seriously have no romantic experience whatsoever?"
Adam’s face remained blank.
Cael smirked.
"Love doesn’t always start with affection."
"Sometimes it starts with annoyance, sometimes it starts with hatred."
His grin widened.
"I might hate her personality."
He paused.
"But she’s still one hell of a beauty."
Adam immediately regretted asking.